Ink fountain construction

ABSTRACT

A novel ink fountain for printing presses is provided with a construction which permits an ink blade assembly included in the unit to be readily dropped away from the printing press for clean-up purposes independently of an electric drive motor means that is mounted in a fixed position relative to the printing press main frame and that is selectively connected to the ink blade assembly for effecting blade position adjustments.

United States Patent [191 Easoz et al.

[ Nov. 13, 1973 INK FOUNTAIN CONSTRUCTION [73] Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

[22] Filed: Jan. 31, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 222,098

[52] US. Cl. 101/365, 192/20 [51] Int. Cl... 341131/04, B4lf 31/18, B4lf 31/30 [58] Field of Search 101/364, 365

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,275,642 8/1918 Bechman 101/365 1,509,888 9/1924 Weldon 1 101/364 2,392,706 1/1946 Taylor et a1. 101/365 2,497,648 2/1950 Worthington 101/365 2,514,556 7/1950 Peyrebrune et al 101/364 2,887,049 5/1959 Mueller 101/364 2,945,437 7/1960 I-lilgoe et a1. 101/364 3,353,484 11/1967 Koyak 101/365 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 366,914 2/1932 Great Britain 101/364 917,785 2/1963 Great Britain 101/364 Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-William Pieprz Attorney-John R. Bronaugh et al.

[ ABSTRACT A novel ink fountain for printing presses is provided with a construction which permits an ink blade assembly included in the unit to be readily dropped away from the printing press for clean-up purposes independently of an electric drive motor means that is mounted in a fixed position relative to the printing press main frame and that is selectively connected to the ink blade assembly for effecting blade position adjustments.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures 1 INK FOUNTAIN CONSTRUCTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An ink fountain unit is provided with end plate members for fixed attachment to a printing press frame and with an ink blade assembly that is movable relative to the end plate members. The ink blade assembly and the end plate members have cooperating slidable surfaces and the ink blade assemby is arranged for rotation relative to the main press frame when moved to and from engagement with the ink fountain unit ink roll. A drive motor means used in effecting blade assembly position adjustments is advantageously mounted on an end plate member and in a fixed position relative to the press frame, and by means of a novel ink fountain main clutch arrangement the ink blade assembly may be selectively disengaged from the drive motor means and afterwards readily moved away from and returned to engagement with the ink fountain unit ink roll during clean-up operations without disturbing the drive motor means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of an ink fountain unit incorporating the features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the ink blade assembly of the ink fountain unit in a dropped position for clean-up purposes;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal elevational view, partially in section, showing the clutch arrangement and other construction details incorporated into the unit of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken essentially along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of an ink fountain unit having the features of the instant invention. Ink fountain unit 10 is normally mounted on a printing press main frame 11 (shown in phantom lines) for cooperation with ink distribution rollers or the like incorporated into the printing press separate from unit 10. In the typical installation of unit 10, cylindrical bearing surfaces 12 provided in a pair of end plate members, one of which is illustrated and referenced as 13 in the drawings, cooperate with a rigid through-rod extending to opposite sides of printing press frame 11 for fountain location and support purposes. Conventional threaded bolts (not shown in the drawings) are also preferably utilized to additionally properly locate and to fixedly secure each end plate member 13 relative to main press frame 11.

Ink fountain unit 10 further includes a conventional ink roll 14 (FIG. 4) and an ink blade assembly 15, each of which is journalled in the pair of end plate members for rotation. Ink roll 14 is supported at each end by a frictionless roller or taper bearing 16 located by housing portion 17 of each end plate 13. During operation of press 11, ink roll 14 cooperates with an ink distribution roll (ductor) and is normally rotated by the printing press drive through a conventional ratchet and pawl arrangement (not shown).

lnk blade assembly is provided at its opposite ends with cylindrical bearing surfaces 18 which cooperate with the printing press through-rod member that engages the bearing surfaces 12 of end plate members 13. By means of this mounting arrangement, assembly 15 may be rotated into engagement with ink roll 14 during normal press operation and away from ink roll 14 for clean-up purposes following press operation. An overcenter or toggle linkage comprised of link 19, lever 20 and pivot connection 21 is provided for effecting such rotation and for locking the assembly in its engaged condition. Link 19 is rotatably secured at post 22 to the base 23 of ink blade assembly 15. Lever arm 20 is preferably secured to the shaft of a manually operated hand crank (not shown) by pin means 24. Such hand crank means cooperates with and is supported by cylindrical bearing surface 25 provided in end plate member 13. A lug 26 is adjustably mounted on link 19 and engages normally open switch 27 provided in the circuit of the main clutch of the unit for safeguard purposes. Lug 26 is adjusted to establish the desired over-center condition that locks assembly 15 in its engaged condition at a proper location relative to ink roll 14. See FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 for illustrations of the basic engaged position of assembly 15 relative to ink roll 14.

Assembly 15 further includes doctor blade segments 30 which are individually bonded to and cantilevered from block 31. Block 31 is secured to base member 23 by conventional screw fastener means 32. It is important that ink blade assembly 15 be so constructed that the blades 30 at each end of base member 23 at all times have a wiping contact relation relative to the adjacent face of the cooperating end plate member 13. Thus, fountain assembly 15 may be rotated about the printing press through-rod member engaged with bearing surfaces 18 without causing leakage of ink from fountain unit 10 at the assembly ends during clean-up operations as well as during normal engagement for press operation.

A series of key assemblies 35 which are each substantially identical are also provided in ink fountain l0 and are spaced at nearly equal intervals along the length of base member 23. One key assembly 35 is preferably provided for each blade segment 30 and each assembly 35 includes a key shaft (or key) 36 that is threadably engaged with a threaded hole 37 in base member 23. A chamferred surface at the forward end of each key shaft 36 engages the underside of a corresponding blade segment 30 and is advanced and retracted as a result of rotation of shaft 36 in the base member threaded hole to thereby obtain adjustments in the position of the end of a blade segment 30 relative to fountain roll 14.

Assembly 15 is also provided, with means for actuating the individual key assemblies 35 and advancing/retracting key shafts 36 independently of each other. Such means includes a worm gear 38 with relieved portions that are mounted in split bearing supports 39. Worm gear 38 essentially extends the full length of base member 23 and assembly 15. One end of worm gear 38 carries a clutch disc 34 which is positioned outside of end web 33 of base member 23 and which comprises one part of a hereinafter described main electromagnetic clutch assembly. Clutch disc 34 has a flat friction face oriented normal to the axis of worm gear 38 and normal to the axis of cylindrical bearing surfaces 18. The opposite end of worm gear 38 is journalled in a conventional bearing located in base member 23 inwardly of the base face that is in wiping contact with the assembly end plate opposite illustrated end plate 13.

The means for advancing/retracting the chamferred ends of key shafts 36 also includes a series of helical gears 40 each of which is associated with a different one of key assemblies 35 and each of which engages worm gear 38. Each helical gear 40 is located at one end of, and preferably is integral with, a hollow shaft member 41 that is mounted for rotation on a cylindrical surface portion of the cooperating key shaft 36. The end of hollow shaft member 41 opposite helical gear 40 is provided with an integral annular disc 42 which essentially comprises one-half of an electromagnetic clutch assembly. The other half of such clutch assembly is designated 43. The clutch assembly made up of elements 42 and 43 is a conventional electromagnetic clutch which upon energization slidably moves and frictionally couples an annular clutch disc mounted on a hub contained interiorly of element 43 (and rotationally keyed to shaft means 36) to the clutch disc designated 42. During periods when no rotation and advancement/retraction of key shaft 36 is desired, clutch half 43 is inactive and the clutch disc half 42 is disengaged from contact with annular clutch disc of clutch half 43. Thus rotation of helical gear 40 as a result of rotation of worm gear 38 does not always rotate key shaft 36 in threaded hole 37. When an adjustment in the position of a particular doctor blade segment by its cooperating key 36 is desired, the associated clutch half 43 must be selectively energized so that its interiorly contained slidable keyed hub is magnetically moved to couple the attached annular disc in driven relation to worm gear 38 through the associated helical gear 40, hollow shaft 41, and clutch disc 42 combination. Additional construction and operation details regarding the conventional electromagnetic clutch assembly are set forth in copending US Pat. application Ser. No. 180,021, filed Sept. 13, 1971 and assigned to the assignee of this application.

Ink fountain unit is also provided with means for driving worm gear 38 and such means is in the form of a conventional electric stepping motor 50 advantageously mounted on end plate member 13 as shown in the drawings. The drive shaft of motor 50 is coupled to anti-backlash coupling 51 and to a transmission'assembly that includes an input shaft 52 mounted in bearings 53, a bevel gear 54 secured to one end of input shaft 52, a bevel gear 55 cooperating with bevel gear 54, and an output shaft 56 secured to and driven by bevel gear 55. Output 56 is mounted in bearing supports 57 and is connected to the electromagnetic clutch half designated 58. Clutch portions-34 and 58 of the ink fountain unit comprise a main electromagnetic clutch that is similar to the electromagnetic clutch incorporated into individual key assemblies 35. As previously mentioned clutch disc 34 has a flat face oriented normal to the axis of worm gear 38 and normal to the axis of cylindrical bearing surfaces 18 in the end web portions 33 of assembly base member 23. Clutch portion 58 has a flat clutch face that selectively, frictionally cooperates with the exposed end clutch face of clutch disc 34, such subassembly 58 fiat clutch face normally being the end face of annular disc secured to a slidable hub that is rotationally keyed to shaft member 56. Such hub is contained within the fixed housing of clutch portion 58 and is slidably urged to overcome a weak return spring force sufficiently to engage the flat end face of portion 58 with the face of clutch disc 34 whenever clutch portion 58 is selectively electrically energized. During periods of normal press operation the electromagnetic clutch assembly which couples worm gear 38 to the output shaft 56 driven by motor is continuously energized so that individual doctor blade segments 36 may be adjusted in their position relative to ink roll 14 simply by selective actuation of the individual electromagnetic clutches in the different key assemblies 35. However, when the printing press is not being operated, as in the case of clean-up operations, the clutch assembly coupling output shaft 56 to worm gear 38 is preferably de-energized causing the flat surfaces on clutch member 34 and clutch half 58 to be axially separated by the included return spring and be radially readily slidable relative to each other. It is important to note in the drawings that a first recess 59 is provided in end plate member 13 to receive clutch portions 58, and that a contiguous arcuate recess 60 of lesser depth is also provided in end plate member 13 to permit assembly 15 to be rotated into a FIG. 2 dropped-away condition without having interference between clutch disc 34 and portions of end plate member 13. No corresponding recesses are required in the end plate member in unit 10 opposite member 13. Element 61 in the drawings is a drip pan.

We claim:

1. An ink fountain assembly for use with a printing press and comprising, a pair of end plates having opposed, parallel, flat interior faces and means for securing said pair of end plates to a printing press frame, an ink fountain roll joumalled for rotation in said end plates with its longitudinal axis oriented normal to said end plate opposed parallel, flat, interior faces, an ink blade assembly including a base member and an ink blade with oppositely disposed side edges that slidably contact said end plate opposed parallel, flat interior faces and a front edge which is adjustable relative to said ink fountain roll, a series of adjustable keys located in said base member in spaced relation along said front edge for adjusting said front edge relative to the ink fountain roll, a helical gear mounted for free rotation about the axis of each said key, an elongated worm gear mounted for rotation in said base member with its longitudinal axis oriented parallel to said ink fountain roll axis and having continuous meshing relation with said helical gears, an electromagnetic clutch assembly mounted on each said key and selectively energizable to connect the respective helical gear to said key for imparting individual adjustments to said keys, means mounting said ink blade assembly base member for pivoting motion to and from an operative position relative to said ink fountain roll about an axis spaced apart from and oriented parallel to both said ink fountain roll axis and said worm gear axis, electric drive means including an output shaft mounted for rotation about a fixed axis in one of said end plates for driving said ink blade assembly worm gear, the axis of said output shaft being oriented parallel to and coincident with the axis of said worm gear when the ink blade assembly is in said operative position, and electromagnetic clutch means for selectively coupling/decoupling said output shaft with and from said elongated worm gear to permit relative pivoting of said blade assembly and therewith said worm gear in a radial direction away from said operative position, said clutch means having a first flat clutch face secured to one end of the worm gear and oriented normal to the worm gear axis, a second flat clutch face secured to said output shaft and oriented normal to the worm gear axis and in aligned relation to said first flat ment with said first flat clutch face when the ink founclutch face when the ink assembly is in said operative tain blade assembly and said first flat clutch face is in position, said second flat clutch face being normally the operative position and said clutch means is enerspaced from said first flat clutch face and being slidable gized.

axially of said output shaft for frictional driving engage- 5 

1. An ink fountain assembly for use with a printing press and comprising, a pair of end plates having opposed, parallel, flat interior faces and means for securing said pair of end plates to a printing press frame, an ink fountain roll journalled for rotation in said end plates with its longitudinal axis oriented normal to said end plate opposed parallel, flat, interior faces, an ink blade assembly including a base member and an ink blade with oppositely disposed side edges that slidably contact said end plate opposed parallel, flat interior faces and a front edge which is adjustable relative to said ink fountain roll, a series of adjustable keys located in said base member in spaced relation along said front edge for adjusting said front edge relative to the ink fountain roll, a helical gear mounted for free rotation about the axis of each said key, an elongated worm gear mounted for rotation in said base member with its longitudinal axis oriented parallel to said ink fountain roll axis and having continuous meshing relation with said helical gears, an electromagnetic clutch assembly mounted on each said key and selectively energizable to connect the respective helical gear to said key for imparting individual adjustments to said keys, means mounting said ink blade assembly base member for pivoting motion to and from an operative position relative to said ink fountain roll about an axis spaced apart from and oriented parallel to both said ink fountain roll axis and said worm gear axis, electric drive means including an output shaft mounted for rotation about a fixed axis in one of said end plates for driving said ink blade assembly worm gear, the axis of said output shaft being oriented parallel to and coincident with the axis of said worm gear when the ink blade assembly is in said operative position, and electromagnetic clutch means for selectively coupling/decoupling said output shaft with and from said elongated worm gear to permit relative pivoting of said blade assembly and therewith said worm gear in a radial direction away from said operative position, said clutch means having a first flat clutch face secured to one end of the worm gear and oriented normal to the worm gear axis, a second flat clutch face secured to said output shaft and oriented normal to the worm gear axis and in aligned relation to said first flat clutch face when the ink assembly is in said operative position, said second flat clutch face being normally spaced from said first flat clutch face and being slidable axially of said output shaft for frictional driving engagement with said first flat clutch face when the ink fountain blade assembly and said first flat clutch face is in the operative position and said clutch means is energized. 